Vegeta studied the quiet girl, her hands busy with his hair. At first he had resisted her efforts to change his appearance, but in the end he had to admit that she had good reason. How many people were familiar with his strange hair and beard? Lema was so unaware of how the Saiya-jin mind and spirit worked, making him wonder if she had yet to face the demonic nature that made thousands of races fear them.

Saiya-jins, by nature, were split between a humanoid and demonic form. They were one and the same, the demonic side lying dormant most of the time. Usually, a Saiya-jin only revealed his other side at the coming of a full moon, but there were exceptions to that rule. Granted, he wouldn't transform completely, but if he didn't keep control of his other nature, it could frighten the naive girl. She had so much to learn about her kind and Vegeta was starting to question whether she had been taught the basic knowledge of the Saiya-jin race or not? Why would Turles shelter the girl so much? She was a fighter, a powerful one at that. If he hadn't run across her when he did, the potential to use her abilities may have been wasted.

He could still remember the day he had seen her toss the elite soldier Nappa, one of the most powerful in the castle. Nappa was no where close to Bardock's and Turles's strength, but Lema had still taken him by surprise. 'She's so trusting, despite everything that's happened to her. Why did she come back for me? She could have left me there to die, anyone else would have.'

Her scent was driving him insane and Vegeta was thankful that she couldn't see his face or eyes. He was positive they would be glowing a deep red, his teeth longer than normal. 'No, she isn't ready.'

'I want her!' his demonic side raged. Saiya-jins lived for two reasons, the main one fighting. The second didn't appear until after maturity, nor did he ever pay attention to the legends until his body was being torn apart by the internal battle he was waging. Yes, Saiya-jins did mate, but royalty never allowed themselves to grow attached to their future mate. He needed an heir to the throne, but Lema was much more to him than that.

"Vegeta?" He barely heard her, but didn't dare to turn around and face her. "You're shaking."

Vegeta clenched his fingers into a tight fist, a low growl escaping his throat. "Lema, how much do you know about Saiya-jins and their other side."

"You mean about the Oozuru that sleeps inside of us all? Raditz mentioned something about it once, but I never paid much attention to fairy tales."

"It's not a fairy tale, Lema! Dammit, Lema! Your ignorance could get you seriously hurt!"

"What's wrong with turning into an Oozuru?"

"The Oozuru is our other half and almost impossible to control. I battle with it every time I see you."

"I don't..."

"The Oozuru is used mostly in battle during a full moon and occassionaly it will choose a mate. Luckily we're in agreement on the one we want. Everything about you drives me insane and I grow tired of holding it back."

"You're eyes, they're turning red..." she whispered, curious instead of afraid. She touched the razor sharp teeth and trembled when he brushed her sensitive neck. He purred and at the last moment, he pulled away.

"Dammit, Lema. I can't control it for much longer."

"Then don't."

"I have no choice. You're not ready and I could kill you in the process!"

Lema's heart ached and she wanted to ease his frustration. "How will I know?"

Vegeta laughed, pulling Lema close. He buried his hands within her black hair, claiming her lips with a brusing passion that left her breathless. "Don't worry little one. The demonic side will know and nothing will hold it back once it senses that you're ready. Lema, you have no idea how rare it is to find our soul mate. I'll never let you go."

"What else do I need to know?"

"The Oozuru form is ten times more powerful than our humanoid forms. It's difficult to control the savage nature of the demonic beast that we share souls with, a reason why we avoid the full moon unless we're in battle and need the power. Saiya-jins are forbidden to use that transformation on Vegeta-sai. They said no one's been able to control the Oozuru form for over five thousand years."

"What else?"

'Damn it! She's completely clueless! Most Saiya-jins face their demonic half soon after they reach maturity; why is she so different? How could Lema have no desire to mate, it's instinctive in every female!'

'The desire is there!' Vegeta jerked, taken by surprise as his Oozuru side slammed into him full force. 'Look at the mark on her neck, it's proof that she's connected to you.' He struggled to hold the Oozuru side back, a battle he was barely winning. 'I will have her!'

"Lema..." Vegeta half snarled, half purred. "I need you to leave for a few days."

"But..." She tried to see his face, but he quickly grabbed and pressed her head close to his chest. He was hiding something from her. Whatever it was, it was causing Vegeta a great deal of discomfort and pain, the mark on her neck burning.

"Don't ask questions, little one. I promise to explain, but now is not the time!"

Lema clutched at the torn tunic she had found for him, wondering why he sounded afraid. Vegeta wasn't scared of anything. Suddenly he was gone, leaving Lema alone on the ground. She almost went after him, but a voice echoed a warning in her mind.

'Run! You're not strong enough to face him!'

'What are you talking about? Who are you?'

'Who I am doesn't matter at the moment? We exist within the Saiya-jin souls, very few have the ability to connect with their other half. Vegeta can't control his instincts forever, not when he's waited this long.'

'Waited for what? Dammit, why doesn't anything make sense!'

'Run, Lema! The Oozuru inside of Vegeta is growing too powerful for him.'

'I'm not a coward!'

'This is not a battle you wish to fight right now! You're not ready! You'll never survive if you choose to face him at this time and place.'

'Why does his Oozuru side want to hurt me?'

'Lema, an Oozuru is predatory by nature, never forget this.' Lema hated the idea of running, but chose to listen to the voice in her mind. She ran back towards the mountains, wondering if Vegeta would be alright.

Vegeta collapsed in a sea of darkness, blinded by the rage of the Oozuru. 'Lema...' He roared in pain and fury, torn between the desire to chase her down or wither on the ground like a helpless child. His Oozuru side would never forgive him if he allowed her to escape.

'Why?' the demon lashed out at him, sending another wave of intense pain through his body.

'She needs more time... Lema hasn't had the training that she needs.'

The pain subsided for a moment, the Oozuru thinking about what Vegeta was saying. 'How long?'

'The next full moon of Vegeta-sai.'

'Three years?' The demonic half snarled in frustration, having waited an enternity already for Lema. Now that it's found her, it would stop at nothing to claim her. 'Three years and no longer. However, if I sense that she's ready, I will not wait! Don't try to stop me again, Vegeta!'

Suddenly Vegeta was able to think again, the Oozuru having retreated to the back of his mind. He sighed in relief, but knew that the demon side would follow through with its threat.

Lema had been climbing the mountain for two days and was sleeping in a cave when she felt a tail brush against her cheek. Opening tired eyes, exhausted from several hours of avoiding falling rocks, she saw Vegeta smiling down at her. "Vegeta?"

She searched for any signs of fear, aggression... Vegeta lowered himself to the cavern floor and quietly sat beside her, his tail moving to her arm and curling around it. Lema yawned, blushing as she tried to cover her mouth. He laughed and watched as she drifted back into sleep. She looked so innocent and relaxed as she breathed in a slow and steady rhythm. Gently, not wanting to wake her again, he pulled Lema into a tight embrace, not willing to let her go. She smiled, curling closer to the warmth that he offered from the blasting winds.

'Soon, little one...' Vegeta knew that she had a hard road ahead of her, but to hold back would insure her death. He had a thousand questions to ask, but he doubted that anyone had answers to give him. The intervention of the Oozuru side was rare, nearly unheard of. To hold back his strength when he chose to claim Lema would be impossible; the demon half wouldn't let him.

Vegeta lost track of the time, not realizing when he had fallen asleep himself, his arms possessively wrapped around Lema's slim and muscular body. If she minded, she never said anything the next morning as they continued on their journey and current mission. Every night after was the same, Lema trusting him more and more as they became closer friends. She had nearly forgotten that he was royalty, adjusting to his now short hair and beardless face. No one seemed to recognize him, or the tan that was deepening with weeks in the Vegeta-sai sun.

"Who are you two?" the ugly Saiya-jin snarled, whip in his hand. Two others were on his left and right, each holding a silver studded cane. Lema knew what they were used for, but kept her face and voice clear of all emotion.

Vegeta stepped forward and bowed in respect to the field master, just as Lema had taught him the night before. He hated the idea of appearing submissive, but he couldn't afford to let anyone know who he was. "We're travelers needing food, shelter and work."

"Food and shelter doesn't come cheep!" the master barked. "I don't give out charity!"

Lema remained quiet, appearing to be obedient and timid. The master studied her closer, an amused smirk forming on his scarred face. Vegeta wanted to tear the bastard's eyes out, but kept an iron control on his instinctive nature. "We'll work for every thing you have to offer."

"Five gold pieces and three meals a day and a roof over your head. That's all I'll pay you!"

Lema couldn't believe the poverty he kept the servants in. That wasn't even enough to buy clothing on their backs every winter. She did notice that more than half of the Saiya-jins didn't wear shoes on their feet and the women appeared terrified or resigned to their fates. Something isn't right. "We'll accept," Vegeta said, wondering if he would kill the bastard.

"Show them to the servant houses. Your work begins in the morning!" the master ordered. Giving Vegeta and Lema a hateful glare, "Discpline is strictly enforced here. I don't tolerate laziness, or anything else that slows down production. If you're late, disobey orders, you will be tied to the post and beaten with a nine-tailed energy whip."

Lema paled, but her face was lowered to the ground. Vegeta had heard a small gasp come from her, but didn't have time to glance in her direction as they followed the master's two servants. Several workers watched them from the corner of their eyes, but didn't stop from their daily tasks.

'This isn't a field for crop workers; it's a slave camp!' Lema wanted to tear the whips out of the field watchers, their loyalties to the master. Unlike the commoners, they had once been soldiers of the military and had their own money. They loved the misery of the commoners and weren't afraid to express this when a commoner fell or dropped a basket of crops.

The servant houses barely stood on it's foundations, the wind causing it to shudder. One of the watchers opened the flimsy door, and motined for a single bed. There were others, but all showed signs of having an owner. "One of you'll have to sleep on the floor."

The other touched Lema's hair and brought it to his nose; "Unless you would prefer company with more pleasant surroundings."

Lema didn't pretend to hide her disgust and hatred, the watchers taken a surprised step backwards. "Touch me again, and I'll kill you both!" she snarled. "My job is to work in the fields, not entertain former elite soldiers as a whore!"

"Know your place, commoner!" He started to raise his cane, but Lema dodged out of the way and drove a fist into his chest, smirking in satisfaction as he spat up blood.

"I think we understand each other," Lema purred into his ear, happily driving her knee between his legs. "You could tell your boss about this..." tilting his chin back, "do you really want to admit how weak you are? I'm only a little onna... Besides, you and I know the Saiya-jin law! I have to work for my food, but I reserve the right to defend myself against unwanted advances or attacks."

"What are you?" he gasped in painful breaths.

"A commoner." Lema allowed the watcher to be helped out of the shack, arms crossed before her chest. After the door cloosed, barely hanging on by the hinges, she turned to see Vegeta shaking in restrained laughter. "Was I wrong?"

"No."

The table was quiet at dinner, none of the commoners speaking. Most were too exhausted or malnurished to say anything, but a few were afraid of the watchers that stood at the edge of their tables. Word had spread to the other watchers about Lema, but no one had alerted the master of her act of defiance. To admit that an onna had easily defended herself, would ensure the watcher's dismissal or demotion to the fields. They couldn't beat her, not without having a legal excuse.

Vegeta sat on her right, slowly eating the piece of bread on his plate. 'How can they survive on such small portions? This isn't even a snack!' He looked at Lema and remembered how thin she had been when she had first appeared in the castle. 'Little one, a lot of things are going to change.'

Lema turned her head and sadly smiled. What memories she had was nothing compared to what she had witnessed in the last few hours! Vegeta looked angry and... it was hard to place. There was compassion and understanding in his eyes, something she wouldn't have placed with a royal member of Vegeta-sai. 'How could he possibly understand what they're going through?'

"Lema, we start training tonight," he whispered, low enough to where only she could hear. She nodded, going back to her meal. One-by-one, the commoners went to the shack, collapsing into their beds. Lema started to lie down on the floor, but Vegeta would have none of it when he lifted and tossed her on the bed.

"What...?"

"We'll share," he growled, cutting off any protests she might have given. Lema started to say that sharing the same bed was unacceptable, but doubted that Vegeta would have listned.

"Ya'll regret coming here..." a voice whispered. Lema and Vegeta turned to the Saiya-jin that spoke, his clothes in dirty tatters. He was almost indecent. "Especially the female."

"I can take care of myself," Lema growled, shifting her weight so that Vegeta could lie down. She heard his stomach protest from the lack of food; Lema almost pitied him. This would be the first time that he had gone without a decent supper. 'Why are you doing this Vegeta? Your life was simple.'

"Women are badly treated here," the Saiya-jin warned, curling into his shabby blanket.

"What's your name?" Lema asked, unable to fall asleep. She probably should have, not knowing what to expect from Vegeta's training later.

"Dillon."

"This is Geta and I'm Lema."

"Geta? That sounds familiar." Dillon shrugged and offered his hand to Lema. She gladly shook it and gave him a warm smile. "I heard about what you did today. Watch your back kid, they won't forgive your insult."

"I'm not expecting them to," she purred in invitation for a good fight. In the past she might not have been strong enough to take on a field master, but that was before she had met Vegeta and entered the trials. She wasn't aware that she had taken out Nappa, one of the most powerful soldiers in the castle other than Bardock. Vegeta had decided not to tell her this secret, hoping that she would continue to give her best if she didn't know.

Dillon laughed, "You're crazy."

"Where are the other females?" Lema asked, noticing that she was the only one in the shack.

Dillon scolwed, but kept his voice down. "They're only three in the entire field, all sleeping with the watchers or master."

"Why?" Lema hissed.

"Better living conditions and too afraid or weak to stop the master from taking what he wants."

"He rapes them?" Lema snarled, her eyes turning a blood red. She felt Vegeta sit up and touch her shoulder.

"Lema..." he warned.

"But..."

"Trust me," he whispered. Lema gazed into his eyes and trembled. A fiery rage danced in his black eyes and voice, a side of Vegeta that she had never seen before.

"Hai," she agreed. Vegeta nodded and laid his head back down, bringing Lema with him. He listened as she growled herself to sleep, her tail twitching violently in her sleep. Dillon was curious about their relationship, but knew better than to ask, nor was it his business to get involved. He respected the small girl, but had a feeling she wouldn't last long before one of the watchers tried to kill her.

A few hours before dawn, Vegeta carried Lema out of the shack, making sure not to wake anyone as he moved a couple miles away from the fields. A cold wind blew her hair back, waking her slowly. "Where are we?"

Vegeta lowered her to the ground and stepped back. "Do you still want to train? It won't be easy, nor will I let you quit once we start."

Sleep forgotten, Lema nearly danced in excitment. To be trained by Vegeta himself was a honor any Saiya-jin would kill for, even a commoner. "Hai!" Vegeta raised a brow, causing Lema's cheeks to reden in embarrasment. "Vegeta?"

"What?"

"Promise you won't hold back."

He smirked, stepping into his battle stance. "I had no intentions of it." Vegeta knew that what he was about to do was unfair and brutal, but Lema had less than three years to learn what he needed to teach her. Lema saw him move too late, her tail grabbed from behind and her body tossed through a pile of rocks.

Lema had too much pride to say how much that had hurt, but wouldn't have asked for it to be any different. Vegeta betrayed no emotion as he waited for her to stagger back up, her body covered with several cuts. With no regeneration tank to heal her after their intensive sessions, Vegeta knew she would quickly gain strength, power and speed as time passed.

"Watch your tail, next time! That'll be my only warning."

'He called that a warning!'

Lema found it impossible to follow Vegeta, his body a blur as he continued to attack. How many times did he kick her in the back, struck her neck with the palm of his hand or snatched her tail and twirl her around several times? He wasn't kidding when he said training would be the hardest thing she had ever done, but Lema promised herself then that she would never allow herself to quit. Despite his savage training, she knew that Vegeta wanted her to continue and watched her each time that she forced herself to get back up. He waited for the words of defeat, but when they never came, he knew that he had chosen the right girl to be his personal guard and future mate.

She never countered; Vegeta didn't give her the chance. Lema's knees buckled and everything spun out of control. 'I won't faint, I won't faint.' Just as Vegeta started to attack again, Lema collapsed, caught before she could hit the ground. Vegeta carefully led her to a small source of water and washed the cuts, watching as the black night slipped into the grays of morning. It was almost time to start work. Softly, he tucked a strand of hair behind Lema's ear, a tenderness in his expression that no one had ever seen. 'Never give up little one and I promise to make you the strongest Saiya-jin on the planet.'

Vegeta didn't know when it had happened, but it was then that he realized how much he had fallen for the small female. It didn't matter to Vegeta how she was raised, or the training that she had never received growing up. She was priceless, worth more than any elite soldiers' daughter. Lema was never anything but honest about her feelings and it showed in everything she said and did. He would not repay her friendship by going easy in their training. Yes, it was true that she couldn't keep up with him at the moment. In a few weeks, she would be able to defend his attacks, that's when he'll teach her the secrets only royal and personal guards were pemitted by the royal house of Vegeta-sai.

'Owww,' Lema groaned, hoping she didn't say that aloud. Painfully she opened her eyes and found herself being carried back towards the fields. "I can walk..."

Vegeta let her slide off his back and gave her a glance before they joined the commoners. "Keep close," Lema warned, wincing from the pain of moving. "One mistake and they'll spare no mercy."

Before they entered the clearing, Vegeta grabbed Lema and pulled her close, his hand cupping the back of her neck. Her eyes widened as he closed the distance between their lips, bruising them with a protective desire. Lema couldn't pull away, nor did she choose too. 'This feels...' Her heart beat quickened, pounding in her ears. 'There's a warmth in my stomach, what is this feeling?' His tongue pushed past her lips, bringing forth a muffled moan.

After what seemed like an eternity, but only a few brief seconds, Vegeta broke the kiss and nuzzled Lema's neck with affection. "Lema, my job is to learn from these people. They'll try to hit me, won't they?" Lema nodded. "Don't interfere."

"Ve..." He silenced her with another kiss, making it harder and harder for Lema to think straight. What was he asking; how could he possibly ask her not to spare him the fate she knew all too well? The energy whips were the most feared type of corpral punishment; 'he can't possibly know the damage or pain they can cause!' Her hands held desparately to his muscular arms, afraid to let him go.

"This is my battle to fight, Lema."

"No!" she protested defiantly. "You don't know what you're saying! Vegeta, please don't do this!" Vegeta slowly wrapped his arms around her trembling body, massaging her back in powerful strokes. "Why," she asked. "What is your purpose to this?"

"Am I not their king, Lema?"

"Yes, but..."

"How can I help if I don't understand their life, struggles, sacrifices, nor pain? Lema, try to understand."

"I'll do as you ask."